Nozzles for dispensing gasoline into a vehicle fuel tank at a gasoline service station are known in the art. Generally, there are two types of these dispensing nozzles, those that provide a vapor recovery capability and those that do not. Vapor recovery dispensing systems incorporate a vapor return path from the dispensing nozzle that is discharging the fuel into the vehicle fuel tank to the storage tank from which the fuel is being drawn for delivery to the vehicle. Fuel vapors, more particularly hydrocarbon vapors, can be thus returned to the storage tank (or other area of disposal) rather than being released into the atmosphere. A dispensing nozzle having a vapor recovery capability has both fuel and vapor passages within its nozzle body and is connected to an above ground dispensing pedestal by a hose that also includes both fuel and vapor passages.
Both vapor recovery and non-vapor recovery dispensing nozzles can incorporate an assembly for automatically terminating the flow of gasoline to a vehicle tank when the tank is fill or after a pre-paid amount of gasoline has been dispensed. The automatic shut-off assembly is adapted to release the lever controlling the flow of gasoline into the vehicle fuel tank when one of the aforementioned conditions occurs.
FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively illustrate a conventional vapor recovery dispensing nozzle 10 and a conventional non-vapor recovery dispensing nozzle 12, each of which incorporate a shutoff assembly 13 for automatically terminating the flow of gasoline to the vehicle fuel tank. Both conventional dispensing nozzles 10 and 12 comprise a spout 14 which engages an adapter 16, the adapter 16 sealingly engaging an outlet 18 of a nozzle body 19. The spout 14 of the non-vapor recovery nozzle 12 often threadably engages the adapter 16, as shown in FIG. 2. While these dispensing nozzles may have functioned well for the purposes for which they were intended, the threaded connection between the spout 14 and the adapter 16 of the non-vapor recovery nozzle 12 can be a source of potential gasoline leakage which can contaminate the environment and present a hazardous condition for the public. In addition, the spouts and adapters of these dispensing nozzles require substantially all metal construction which increases their weight. As such, there is a continuing need to provide dispensing nozzles having improved features which eliminate sources of potential gasoline leaks and which have improved performance characteristics. Still further, there is a continuing need to provide dispensing nozzles which are simpler in construction, easier to manufacture, and lighter in weight for user convenience. The present invention incorporates improved features and structures which can provide the above-described benefits.